NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Kenya’s new finance minister Weeks of deadly protests The country is struggling to raise revenue to repay debts to creditors including the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and China, and tax reform bills planned for earlier this year are due to be reintroduced.
John Mbadi’s announcement, made in a local television interview broadcast on Sunday, has already drawn criticism from some Kenyans whose anger over the rising cost of living has led protesters to storm parliament and pressure President William Ruto to withdraw the controversial finance bill. dismiss most of the cabinet.
But now some of the proposals in that unpopular Finance Bill have been resurrected. Mbadi said the Tax Reform Bill would include dozens of measures, including taxing products deemed environmentally unfriendly.
“This country is not a garbage dump,” he said.
Critics had said the tax would increase the prices of items like sanitary products and diapers.
Already, youth-led protests have responded to the minister’s remarks, saying demonstrations across Kenya will continue. More than 50 people have been killed since protests began in mid-June amid accusations of police brutality, according to the Kenya Human Rights Commission.
Opposition lawmaker Robert Mbui told a local television station on Monday that plans to reintroduce certain proposals were a “mistake” and accused the new minister of “duplicity” after he said earlier this month that there were no plans to increase taxes.
Kenya’s president defends new tax system result The IMF, which is supporting Kenya’s economic reform programme, had earlier proposed some of the controversial tax reforms after withdrawing earlier proposals.
The IMF said after the finance bill was withdrawn “we are confident that we can find a balanced way forward.”
Protesters are also calling for the president to resign, but Ruto has said he will not step down.
